Terrarium Moments

I've been a little quiet this year, but my hushed voice certainly doesn't equate to an uneventful 2016. From the way I see it, we either make waves or we ride them. These past 3 months have been full of unpredictable ups and downs and I've been a bit preoccupied riding the waves that have been channeled my way. The older I get, the more I'm realizing just how little control I have over the things in my life. Life can trick you into thinking you're holding the steering wheel, but really, you're not.

In retrospect, I had been giving myself far too much credit for the beautiful things, encounters, and that have seeped into my life. Meeting my husband, for example, was an unpredictable encounter that easily could never of happened. But it did- and it wasn't because I was driving and happened to make the "right" turn. I used to chalk it up to us being in the right place at the right time, but I'm coming to the conclusion that I didn't give the miracle of meeting him nearly enough credit. Don't worry, I'm not going completely cheeseball on you by implying we were star-crossed lovers and our union was destiny. I'm just saying it was a beautifully packaged little gift that landed in my lap; well, in both of our laps. And we both had the clarity to recognize the magnitude and unparalled nature of the gift we were given. Our lives were stitched together, but we weren't the ones with the sewing kit.

Riding the waves has given me an aerial perspective. I've felt the juxtoposition between highs and lows and can now distinguish these beautiful moments as deliberate and calculated gifts. I envision each gift suspended in a glass prism. The gifts themselves are composed of colorfully organic shapes tangled up in web and speckled with flecks of gold.

I imagine these gifts as terrariums holding miraculous chaos, made up of stardust. Terrariums have always fascinated me, and here's why. Those glass walls allow for heat and light to enter through, nourishing the contents within. Depending on the type of plant, you can keep your terrarium opened or closed. If you keep your terrarium closed, something magical happens. The heat coming in can spark the creation of your plant's very own miniature water cycle. Plus, the light passing through the glass allows for plants to photosynesize. I guess that's how I imagine the gifts we are given: growing and reginerating on their own in a glass prism, sparkling before our eyes.

Here are some new free-flowing paintings that make up my new terrarium-inspired series. These are not literal interepations of terrariums- you don't see the glass encolsure. Rather, you are looking directly through the glass and exploring the contents within. I'll be listing the original paintings for sale as well as adding prints in my Etsy shop soon. I hope you enjoy.